Indianola's Heirloom: Pioneer Cemetery on Florida's Space Coast - Paperback

by Joel N. McPherson Ma (Author)

Indianola Pioneer Cemetery, often called Williams Cemetery, is the final resting place of many of the first settlers of Merritt Island, Florida - many generations before Kennedy Space Center took up residence on the island. Back when boats were the only way to access Merritt Island, Indianola was a vibrant settlement boasting the area's first Post Office, the only school for the area, the first telephone system, and an active wharf for goods and produce. Indian River Fruit was on demand throughout the United States and getting citrus to market a major undertaking. Mosquitos so thick, going outdoors during parts of the day was next to impossible. Rattlesnakes so plentiful, at least one was encountered daily. From steamboats to rowboats, the Indian and the Banana Rivers connected Indianola with the rest of the World. A tough existence called for tough people who could work and produce, not just adapt and survive. .Indianola Pioneer Cemetery preserves this history for us in a peaceful setting on the water's edge under a thick canopy of Florida foliage. There are 329 souls at rest in the cemetery and 329 stories that deserve to be told. A simpler time and a harder existence, come join us in a walk back through time in pioneer Florida.